The adventurers have rested at the the site of the collapsed portal in the center of Celefin. Feeling refreshed, they decide to travel to Duran to collect their payment from Gini Godbronze for helping the elves. Leaving the ruined city, the group finds the elder elves, Kire and Selrahc waiting at the forest’s edge to guide them to the main road. Kire unsheathes “Kelenor” and blesses the party with luck on their travels, while Selrahc hands each of them an elvish skinning knife and proclaims them “elf friends”. Making their way throught the woods, the heroes come across remnants of the grotesque monsters from before…
Uncanny X-Monsters – The battle starts with opening blows from both sides, while the old elves stay out of the fight. Finnan Keen decimates the ice man with a lethal shuriken throw that shatters it into chunks of ice. The wolverine monster lets out it’s claws with a “snikt” sound and furiously swings out at the ranger and warlord. Titan unleashes a Fire Burst that damages the mutated cyclops and burns the staff-wielding mutant into ash. The ranger, warlord, and rogue team up their attacks on the brutal wolverine monster. The minotaur slashes with his battleaxe into the creatures back, but notices it’s wounds start to heal rapidly. The angel monster and mutant beast man are slayed quickly by the group. The cyclops monster zones in on Finn and shoots an energy beam out of it’s eye, burning the halfling for a bit. Seeing his friend in peril and with Ruby Swifthammer caving in the skull of the wolverine mutant with Drengi, the warlord focuses his attention on the cyclops. While the rogue uses his bard training to sing a song of healing for his hurt minotaur friend, Creine Zephyr carves through the shoulder and into the chest of the cyclops mutant with Cleaver.
After the short skirmish, the old elves lead them past the destroyed elf village and out of the vast forest. Bombor is there to greet the party and saddle up the Warhorses. A small caravan of elf families looking for refuge in Duran travels with the adventurers. After a day and night, they all reach the massive dwarvish stronghold. Dug right into the Blue Mountains, Duran is a militaristic city and it shows, with massive trebuchets and ballistae adorning the high outer walls. Deeper in the city there are few shops and civilians. Coming into the Great Hall, they find many mercenary camps spread out gearing up for battle. The steward of Gini Godbronze finds them there and leads them to the throne room. The throne is room is decorated in gold and mithral alike.
In deep discussion are Gini Godbronze, Bolar Bloodhammer, and Book. Tricepatops “Tri”, Finn, Creine, and Ruby head to a side table to refresh themselves with ale and eat some food. The warforged ally decides instead to approach the two dwarf lords and the royal advisor. Titan asks why they are mustering all of their military forces here. Bolar says that the Frost Giant King of the Glacier Peaks has declared war upon the dwarves after over a century of peace. Bolar and Book ask the heroes if they are willing to help by assassinating the Frost Giant King. Book tells them that Durfor Boulderfist wishes to meet them, too. Finn decides now is the time to ask Gini for the reward owed to them for helping out the elves. The drunken dwarf lord laughs, belches, then yells at his steward to pay them all 300 gold pieces. The warlord, after having a private conversation with his short friend, respectfully declines helping fight the Frost Giants and instead says they will heed the king’s summons.
The halfling asks them about the Scorpion Crown, to which Book, having heard about the party’s adventure at the Frostspire with Natalya, convinces Finn to hand over the scrolls found there. The rogue also tells the warforged sage that Titan is carrying the broken artifact. Book politely asks for that too, which the wizard hands over immediately. Finn hands over the red robes from the defeated lich at Rolens Folly and Ruby also gives him the mysterious dagger. Book says it will take time to discover the location of the lich’s Phylactery and to ascertain the magical properties of the robe and dagger. Bolar says he can ready gryphons in two days to take them to Halcyon Keep, but Book interjects that he can ready a portal by tomorrow to take them there quickly. The minotaur says they’ll take the portal. With their questions answered, the group treks back to the local inn to rest.
Going through the Great Hall, Creine notices the banner of his old mercenary group, Wild Card. He stops in to greet them and hoping to find Offock. Finn accompanies his giant friend, but stays outside the main tent and does parlor tricks for some of the Wild Card mercs. Ruby and Titan support the drunken Orc fighter and walk to the inn. Creine finds some old warrior companions and swap some battle stories. They tell the minotaur that Offock is here, so Creine goes into the main tent and finds his old mentor there. The dragonborn warlord is quite old, but nevertheless still looks virile enough to lop off a few more heads. Awaiting Book to open the portal to the dwarven kingdom, the group rests before their next adventure…